Vol. 12, Issue 5 (2023)

Author(s):
M Venkateswara Reddy, K Umajyothi, P Syam Sundar Reddy and K Sasikala

Abstract:
Weed interference in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) reduces fruit yield and economic return in tomato growers who pay for labour. A field experiment was conducted at Horticultural college and Research Institute, Dr. Y.S.R Horticultural University, Venkataramannagudem, Tadepalligudem, West Godavari District, A.P during Rabi season of 2011-12 and 2012-13 to study the influence of pre and post emergence herbicides on economics of tomato cv. Arka Vikas. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments of Pre and post emergence herbicides (Pendimethalin, Oxyflourfen, Imazethapyr and Quizalofop ethyle) and their combinations which were replicated in Randomized block design. Significantly higher gross returns and net returns were realized in the T₉ (weed free- hand weeding at 30, 60, 90 DAT) over rest of the treatments, followed by application of T₈ (Oxyfluorfen 0.125 kg a.i ha^-1 as PE + Quizalofopethyl @ 75 g a.i ha^-1 (POE) and T₆ (Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i/ha + Quizalofop ethyl @ 75 a.i/ha). While, the B:C ratio was significantly higher in T₈ (Oxyfluorfen @ 0.125 kg a.i / ha as PE + Quizalofop ethyl @ 75 g a.i / ha as POE) followed by T₆ (Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i / ha as PE + Quizalofop ethyl @ 75 g a.i / ha as POE). Hand weeding increased the cost of cultivation. This implied that chemical weed control was found superior to get maximum profit per hectare.